Indoor exercising has become a common practice in modern society, providing shelter, lighting and often accessibility to the people who come to train. It also necessitates a variety of indoor exercise machines with which to train.
There are three main groups of target training, namely: cardio-vascular, muscle development, and muscle sculpting and toning. These entail a variety of apparatuses and methods of training, targeted at achieving these objectives.
One of the most common type of apparatus and method for cardio-vascular training, as well as muscle sculpting and toning, is the indoor walking/running apparatus. This type of apparatus is generally referred to as a “treadmill” apparatus, which is an exercise machine that facilitates indoor walking or running by providing a closed-loop belt, thereby simulating walking/running paths outdoors. Technically, a series of rollers enveloped by a closed-loop belt comprises the exercise area. The rollers translate the linear walking/running motion to rotation of the close-looped belt upon the roller series. The close-looped belt will be referred to herein as an endless tread belt. Thus, the motion is localized to the apparatus area. However, most of the existing types of treadmills restrict the person to upright position activities.
A more distinct group of remedial treadmill-like apparatus is often referred to as “crawlers” or “creepers”. This type of apparatus is characterized predominantly by preset, purpose built sets of limb supports, which are designed to accommodate specific, predetermined, sets of orchestrated movements. By creating mechanical interconnection setup options between the designated limb rests, the executable sets of exercises are limited to specially targeted muscle groups.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,217,487 discloses an apparatus and method for quadrupedal exercise, i.e. exercise by walking or running on all fours in a manner similar to four-footed animals. However, this apparatus is restricted both by the limited placement of the limbs, and by the general exercise position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,909 discloses a dual-plane level mid-body exercise crawler apparatus, that has a set level for the leg rests and a slightly elevated level for the hand rests, both set on a rigid frame This configuration enables a preset series of motions such as side to side and/or cross crawling motion, restricted by a gear train assembly between the motion mechanisms of its separate limb rests. However, the predetermined control over the relative movement of the different limbs, limits the exercise scope to a preset number of motions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,069 discloses an improved linkage or coupling arrangement for an exercise apparatus of the creeping and crawling type having pairs of pads mounted for to-and-fro parallel movement in each of pairs of adjacent channels, wherein the diametrically opposite pads simultaneously move in the same direction and pairs of pads move toward and away from each other, characterized by a single cable strand reeved about two pulleys or drums or two separate strands rove about two spaced pairs of pulleys and interconnecting all of the four pads for such movement or rigid linkage means for interconnecting the pads. However, in such apparatus the predetermined control over the relative movement of the different limbs limits the exercise scope to a preset number of those creeping/crawling motions. This apparatus has limited exercise applications by design. It targets specific movement regimes and hence specific muscle groups.
In the prior art, a crawler apparatus targets cooperative activity for skeletal mobility recovery and four limb coordination. This is achieved by using synchronized motion of the hands and legs. The limbs are positioned on designated limb rests that are interconnected by a set of pulleys, which enable side to aside and/or cross, crawling motion.
Such a crawling device targets skeletal mobility and coordination by using synchronized motion of the hands and legs when positioned on specifically designated rests. The rests are interconnected so as to enable a restricted set of specific hand and feet creeping/crawling motions.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an endless tread apparatus that is not restricted to designated limb rests and/or specific sets of exercises and muscle groups.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a crawling apparatus, which targets recuperation of skeletal mobility, as well as promoting mid-sectional muscle strengthening and toning.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for saving room space.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for recovery of skeletal function after trauma.
Further purposes and advantages of this invention will appear as the description proceeds.